Toy.



A. J. GIBBS.

TOY. APPUCATION FILED MAR. 22. I916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

104mm I I J A. J. GIBBS.

TOY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 1916.

1,230,575. Patented June 19, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

o (Jig :5 210 /8 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVIN J'. GIBBS, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GIBBS MANUFACTURINGCOM- PANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 22, 1916. Serial No. 85,858.

'1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN J. GIBBS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Toys, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in wheel toys adapted to be pushedor drawn by a child over a floor or other surface; and the objects ofthe invention are to mount a toy animal or like object within a cageformed by the spokes and rims of the wheel, and to provide a slightfrictional engagement between the parts for imparting a rocking movementto the animal when the wheel is rotated to and fro; and to make the toywith a simple, rigid and durable construction which can be readilyknocked down and reassembled.

These objects are attained in the present instance, by using a pair ofspaced rims for the wheel, each rim having a hub plate centrally securedtherein by suitable spokes, and being joined together by transverseconnecting bars; the wheel being operated by a forked handle havinginturned pintles on its ends, ournaled in the hub plates; and a toyanimal or the like being mounted within the wheel by means of a bracketpivoted on the inturned pintles contiguous to the hub plates upon atransverse axis near above the center of gravity of the animal.

This embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings forming part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe wheel toy, showing part of the handle broken away;

Fig. 2, a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3, a fragmentary plan view of the axial parts broken away in placesto show details of construction;

Fig. 4:, a disassociated detached perspective view of the axial parts ofthe wheel, showing details of construction thereof;

Fi 5, a. detached view of one of the wheel-rim connecting bars; and

Fig. 6, a fragmentary section showing the method of securing the spokesto the rims by means of the connecting bar.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The toy comprises a wheel 1 mounted on the end of a handle 2, and havingthe toy.

animal 8 mounted therein. The wheel 1 consists of a pair of spaced rims1 preferably made of wood, a pair of hub plates 5, preferably made ofstamped sheet metal disks, a series of looped spokes6, preferably madeof wire, and a series of connecting bars 7 preferably made ofstamped'metal strips.

The connecting bars 7 are provided with tongues 8 on their ends, andstruck up tongues 9 adjacent thereto with a transverse groove 10 stampedbetween the tongues adapted to receive the looped portion of a spoke; bymeans of which the rims and the spokes are secured together by clampingthe tongues of the connecting bars around the same, as shown in Fig. 6.j j

The hub plates 5 are provided near the periphery with the series ofapertures 11 for receiving the h'ooked ends 12 of the spokes; and thehub plates are also provided with axial apertures 13 for receiving theinturned axial pintles 1 4-formed on the forked ends of the handle; thuscompleting the construction of the wheel.

The toy animal 3 is preferably formed of a thin wooden block body 15with flat sides having its periphery cut to the contour of the animaland provided'with labels on its sides, having pictured thereon thenatural appearance and dress of the animal. Sheet metal legs 16 may alsobe pivoted to the animal, and a rider 1? may be secured thereon in theform of a boy made of stamped sheet metal.

For the purpose of positioning the animal squarely in the median line ofthe wheel, that is to say. in the parallel plane midway between itsribs, the bearing bracket 18 is preferably secured to the sides of theback or upper edge of the animal of the saddle 19 and the tacks 20,which bracket is provided with the laterally extending arms 21 havingthe bearing plates 22 on their ends provided with axial apertures 23which are journalcd on the inturnedpintles of the forked handlecontiguous to the hub plates, when the parts are assembled.

The parts are so arranged that the pivots of the bearing bracket are inan axis near above the center of gravity of the animal; and preferablythe inward springing of the forked ends of the handle serves to slightlyPatented une 19, 1917. I

press the hub plates against the bearing plates of the bracket, therebyassisting in oscillating or rocking the animal when the wheel isoperated as described below.

By this construction and arrangement it is evident that the animal willswing somewhat freely upon the pintles of the handle, and that when thewheel is moved forward, the inertia of the animal will cause it to swingrearward with reference to the wheel, before it moves forward with thewheel, after which the weight of the animal will cause it to swingforward, and its momentum will carry it slightly beyond its normalupright position. and vice versa; and also that when the forwardmovement of the wheel is stopped or reversed, the momentum of the animalwill cause it to swing forward and then rearward as above described, sothat in the movement of the wheel to and fro, the animal will oscillateupon the pintles of the handle in the natural rocking movement of agalloping horse.

It is also evident that the frictional engagei'nent of the bearingplates of the bear ing bracket against the hub plates of the wheel willalso tend to set up and maintain an oscillating movement or rocking ofthe horse upon its pivotal bearings, independent of the effect of thealternately acting inertia and momentum of the animal; for the reasonthat when the hub plates of the wheel are rotated forward, they willtend to rotate the bearing plates in the same direction to swing theanimal rearward, until the frictional contact of the hub and bearingplates is overcome by the weight of the animal, after which the animalwill swing forward and tl en rearward as a pendulum, as described above.'ly these means it is evident that an oscillating or rocking movement ofthe animal is started and maintained by the movements of the wheel to orfro, even though the same shall be started, stopped and reversed sogradually that the inertia and momentum of the animal does not serve toset up the oscillating movement.

I claim:

1. The combination of a wheel having spaced hub plates, spokes andspaced axle pintles, a toy animal or the like having a saddle bracketsecured to its back, with bearing plates journaled directly on the axlepintles adjacent to the hub plates upon an axis near above the center ofgravity of the toy animal.

2. The combination of a wheel having spaced hub plates, spokes and axlepintles, a toy animal or the like having a saddle bracket secured to itsback, with bearing plates journaled on the axle pintles adjacent to thehub plates upon an axis near above the center of gravity of the toyanimal, and means for yieldingly pressing the hub plates against thebearing plates.

3. The combination of a wheel having spaced rims, spokes and hub plates,with connecting bars between the rims, a toy animal or the like having asaddle bracket secured to its back, and bearing plates on each side, anda handle with forks having pintles on their ends forming pivot-s for thehub and bearing plates.

4-. The combination of a wheel having spaced rims, spokes and hubplates, with connecting bars between the rims. a toy animal or the likehaving a saddle bracket secured to its back, and bearing plates on eachside, and a handle with forks having pintles on their ends formingpivots for the hub and bearing plates, said forks yieldingly pressingthe hub plates against the bearing plates.

The combination of a wheel having spaced hub plates, spokes and spacedaxle pintles, atoy animal or the like having bearings journaled directlyon the axle pintles adjacent to the hub plates upon an axis near abovethe center of gravity of the toy animal.

ALVIN J. GIBBS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C."

